What to call tabs and tabbed pages?

[Geoff Hart <ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca>]

Judith McCrea wondered: <<I am documenting a Windows-based product  
that uses multiple tabs. I strongly feel that the "tab" is the little  
edge piece that sticks up (or out) letting you select a page of  
information which is thus a "tabbed page". Microsoft refer to this  
"tabbed page" as a "Tab" but that's a misuse of English. How do other  
writers refer to these "pages"?>>

Unusually, I'm with Microsoft on this one: I call the page a "tab".  
While I'll grant you that this is a neologism, it's an increasingly  
accepted one, and I've seen it so often I have to believe it's long- 
since become accepted usage in computer docs.  If you want to quibble  
over definitions, it's worth noting that this is a dialog box, not a  
page. <g>

The simplest workaround if you really don't accept that logic? "Click  
the Options tab to display the various settings (options) that you  
can customize. On this page..." Revise as necessary according to the  
context, but this lets you focus on the task (you have to click the  
tab to display the options), while still using your preferred wording  
(page) for the actual tabbed page.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --

Geoff Hart   ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca

(try geoffhart -at- mac -dot- com if you don't get a reply)

www.geoff-hart.com

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

WebWorks ePublisher Pro for Word features support for every major Help 
format plus PDF, HTML and more. Flexible, precise, and efficient content 
delivery. Try it today! http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l

Easily create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to any popular Help file format or printed documentation. Learn more at http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- infoinfocus -dot- com -dot- 

To unsubscribe send a blank email to 
techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40infoinfocus.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to lisa -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.